I never lived
in medieval days, but it’s fun to dress up and go to medieval villages, pretend
that we lived in that ‘noble’ time (when in reality we know there was much
grief, corruption and oppression), root for our favorite knights in the games,
and watching old time crafts like metal work or glass blowing being done. There have been many ages of time out there,
but though some say we are now in the modern age, I believe we are in the age
of last days. How do I know? The Bible says so.
Know this also, that in the
last days grievous times will be at hand. For men will be self-lovers,
money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without
self-control, savage, despisers of good, traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers
of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying
the power of it; even turn away from these.
For of these are those who creep into houses and lead
captive silly women loaded with sins, led away with different kinds of lusts,
ever learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth. But as Jannes and Jambres withstood
Moses, so these also resist the truth, men of corrupt mind, reprobate
concerning the faith. 2Tm. 3:1-8
knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in
the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say,
"Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell
asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of
creation." 2Pt. 3:3,4 ESV
It doesn’t
take long reading the descriptions of what people will be like in that last
days to realize we ARE living them now.
Ah, but people have been saying that forever and it hasn’t happened
yet! Go back and read 2Peter again. When we say that, we become the scoffers in
that passage. Scoffers are those who
jeer (laugh at, boo), mock (ridicule, scorn), or treat something with contempt
(disdain, disrespect, disapproval, with condescension). So, let’s look at the list and see what we
are living with, in the world around us and unfortunately in the church as
well.
- grievous times- hard to do, hard to bear, troublesome, harsh, dangerous
- self lovers- selfish, care more about self interest than others
- money lovers- money has become more important than people
- boasters- empty pretender, braggers, of what we have/ buy, what we do, where we work
- proud- haughty, showing self above others, pre-eminent, haughty of merits, despising others, treating others with contempt
- blasphemers- speak evil, slanderous (malicious), reproachful (accusing, critical, judgmental), abusive (rude, insulting, foul, offensive)
- disobedient to parents- impersuasible, not compliant, contumacious (stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority)
- unthankful- ungracious, thankless, ungrateful
- unholy- impious, irreverent, immoral, wicked
- without natural affection- hard hearted towards others, unfriendly or distant, inhuman (ruthless, cruel), unloving
- unyielding- promise or covenant breakers, implacable (relentless, cold hearted, callous)
- false accusers- prone to falsely accusing, slander, sides with devil or his kingdom
- without self-control- intemperate (immoderate, unbalanced, extreme, hot headed)
- savage- fierce (brutal, violent, stern, angry, vicious)
- despisers of good- opposed to goodness and good men
- traitors- betrayer (rebel, deserter)
- reckless- fall headlong, precipitously, rash, reckless (irresponsible, wild, thoughtless, uncontrolled, inattentive)
- puffed up- puff up with pride, render insolent, blind with conceit, render foolish or stupid
- lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- self explanatory
- having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it- appearance of godliness/ holiness but deny, abjure not accept (renounce, reject, give up), reject
- creep into houses and lead captive silly women loaded with sins- sneak or insinuate one’s self into residences
- led away with different kinds of lusts- led by various desires
- ever learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth- getting smarter in facts, increasing knowledge, but no recognition of ethical and divine knowledge
- these also resist the truth- resist (set self against, withstand, resist, oppose)
- men of corrupt mind- depraved, corrupted, destroyed minds (perception, understanding, feeling)
- reprobate concerning the faith- unfit, spurious (false, bogus, imitation)
- scoffers- mocker, ridiculer
- following their own sinful desires- leading or following their own sinful desires, cravings, lusts
After reading
this list you’ve got to believe we are in the last days too and that much of
this has snuck into the church. But we
do not have to accept any of these in ourselves or our brothers. We can encourage each other toward godliness,
pray for help from our Savior and eventually we will become the Bride without
spot or wrinkle for which the Lord returns.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!